Long-term fishery datasets can provide valuable insights into fishing histories, and represent a baseline against which to examine current status and plan for future management. For coral reef-associated fisheries, however, such datasets are extremely rare. We analyse a unique 45-year set of landings data on six reef fishes of commercial importance in Cuba's coastal fisheries, together with information on management interventions, and examine the likely implications of over-fishing and management on the long-term condition of one grouper (Serranidae) and five snapper (Lutjanidae) species. The data clearly demonstrate differential responses to fishing and management according to the biology of the different species examined. In particular, those species that aggregate most predictably, and at a small number of spawning sites, are more prone to uncontrolled fishing and in need of effective management. The increase in the number and severity of management measures over the last 20 years reflects attempts to address declines in the fishery following its development prior to the 1980s. The data suggest short-lived successes, and challenges to successful management from changing socio-economic circumstances and environmental impacts. The importance of considering, in addition to landings information, social and economic factors, management history, the biology of targeted species and the implications of environmental factors in relation to resource use, trends, and management is clearly illustrated in this study. Managers should strive to document species-specific data over the long-term and aim for robust and adaptive fishery management that constantly adjusts to the range of factors that affect fishing activity, exploited species, and responses to management.

We are most grateful to the many fishers who assisted us. From the Ministry of the Fisheries Industry of Cuba, we thank the Provincial Fisheries Associations, the Directorate of Coastal Fisheries and Servando Valle (Centre of Fisheries Research). Funding for this work was provided by the Society for the Conservation of Reef Fish Aggregations, which is partly supported by the Packard Foundation. Additional funding was provided by a Doherty Fellowship at the Department of Marine and Environmental Systems, FIT.

DC Field

Value

Language

dc.contributor.author

Claro, R

en_HK

dc.contributor.author

Sadovy de Mitcheson, Y

en_HK

dc.contributor.author

Lindeman, KC

en_HK

dc.contributor.author

Garcia-Cagide, AR

en_HK

dc.date.accessioned

2010-05-31T04:15:41Z

-

dc.date.available

2010-05-31T04:15:41Z

-

dc.date.issued

2009

en_HK

dc.identifier.citation

Fisheries Research, 2009, v. 99 n. 1, p. 7-16

en_HK

dc.identifier.issn

0165-7836

en_HK

dc.identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10722/60642

-

dc.description.abstract

Long-term fishery datasets can provide valuable insights into fishing histories, and represent a baseline against which to examine current status and plan for future management. For coral reef-associated fisheries, however, such datasets are extremely rare. We analyse a unique 45-year set of landings data on six reef fishes of commercial importance in Cuba's coastal fisheries, together with information on management interventions, and examine the likely implications of over-fishing and management on the long-term condition of one grouper (Serranidae) and five snapper (Lutjanidae) species. The data clearly demonstrate differential responses to fishing and management according to the biology of the different species examined. In particular, those species that aggregate most predictably, and at a small number of spawning sites, are more prone to uncontrolled fishing and in need of effective management. The increase in the number and severity of management measures over the last 20 years reflects attempts to address declines in the fishery following its development prior to the 1980s. The data suggest short-lived successes, and challenges to successful management from changing socio-economic circumstances and environmental impacts. The importance of considering, in addition to landings information, social and economic factors, management history, the biology of targeted species and the implications of environmental factors in relation to resource use, trends, and management is clearly illustrated in this study. Managers should strive to document species-specific data over the long-term and aim for robust and adaptive fishery management that constantly adjusts to the range of factors that affect fishing activity, exploited species, and responses to management.

-

dc.language

eng

en_HK

dc.publisher

Elsevier BV. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/fishres

en_HK

dc.relation.ispartof

Fisheries Research

en_HK

dc.subject

Cuba

-

dc.subject

Management

-

dc.subject

Spawning aggregation

-

dc.subject

Anthozoa

-

dc.subject

Epinephelinae

-

dc.title

Historical analysis of Cuban commercial fishing effort and the effects of management interventions on important reef fishes from 1960-2005